Groups and Workshops

At For the Joy of It!

Art From the Heart

​TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 20186:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

AtFOR THE JOY OF IT!

$35

Join us for an evening of sharing and art making.

The next offering in our Creative Sparks series will take place on the eve of Valentine's Day. Our central focus will be exploring matters of the heart. What are the gentle concerns we hold in our hearts? What lights our heart on fire? What makes our hearts leap for joy? Or bring your own heart related question to explore.

The yurt is full of art supplies designed for playful free expression. You need no talent or experience in any of the arts to enjoy our evening, just a willingness to let your heart speak through your hands.

FINDING THE WILD INSIDEListening to Our Dreams

Like the bear hibernating in her den, winter is a great time for us to pause and turn inward. Each night as we sleep the river of our innate creativity pours forth in our “Stories of the Night." Our dreams present us with adventures beyond our wildest imaginings. They entertain us and sometimes frighten us but above all they allow us direct contact with the wild, undomesticated parts of ourselves. Listening to what our dreams are trying to tell us, with their ragtag list of characters, and often outrageous scenarios can be challenging for our rational minds but art process is perfectly suited for exploring and expanding their secret messages. Rather than interpreting our dreams we will play with the images, give them a presence in our waking world and let ourselves drink from the deep well of this invaluable resource inside each one of us.

You need no talent or experience in any of the arts to enjoy this evening, just a willingness to let your heart speak through your hands. The yurt/art studio is full of all kinds of fun and playful art materials and is designed especially for those who don’t think they know how to make art. Hope you will join us!

Facilitated by Marilyn Hagar, MA, REAT. Marilyn is an Expressive Arts Therapist who has dedicated her life to exploring how all the arts can put us in touch with our deepest inner knowing. She believes we are all artists, writers and musicians, as those gifts come with being human. She is working on a book titled, Finding the Wild Inside, where she uses the example of her own deeply introspective life to encourage others to find their Wild Inside.

Jeremy Taylor Workshop

Jeremy is coming to Mendocino again! Please join us for a weekend of dream sharing at For The Joy Of It! ​

OPEN STUDIO ART MAKING: The yurt/art studio at For The Joy Of It! will be open all day and into the evening on both Friday and Saturday. It is filled with art supplies of all kinds. You are welcome to stop in and create some dream art. Come play with paper, paste, collage, watercolor, poster paint, pastels, glitter, glue, feathers, fabric, beads, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, whatever strikes your fancy. Please be assured that you don’t need training or experience in any of the arts to enjoy art making in the yurt.

LABYRINTH: There is also a Cretan Labyrinth in the meadow which you are welcome to use both days as well.

WHAT TO BRING: Please bring your lunch as For The Joy Of It! is off in the forest with no restaurants nearby. There is a refrigerator and a microwave if you need to heat something.

LODGING: There are a couple of rooms available at For The Joy Of It! You can see them at http://www.forthejoyofit.org. There is a special rate for the workshop of $99/night with a 2 night minimum. They usually go very quickly so if you are interested let me know right away. I can also offer other nearby lodging recommendations.

Creative Sparks Film/Art Night

We’ve found a deeply moving short film by David Bloom, an internationally renowned orchestra conductor and author who discovered that drawing images from his dreams helped him cope with a life threatening illness. James Hollis, a Jungian Analyst wrote this about the film:

​“If it were ever discovered that we all have an ancient source within, a wise fount, invested in our well being, and speaking directly to us through the language of symbol, we would experience our centers relocate, our priorities shift, and our sense of place and purpose in this great mystery deepen. By risking such a dialogue with this unknown center, David Blum found it spoke to him, and gave him, and us, renewed guidance in a time of fragmentation, distraction, and dis-ease. His example is a summons, a model, and an invitation for the rest of us to risk such a dialogue in depth.” Join us as we watch the film then adjourn to the yurt for art making, writing and reflection. No experience or talent in any of the arts is necessary to participate in and enjoy this evening. All that is needed is a desire to look within and be willing to play with what you find there.

Exploring Our "Stories of the Night"

Wednesday, October 26, 2016, 6:30 - 9:30atFOR THE JOY OF IT!

Each night as we sleep the most amazing cast of characters play out high drama in the land of our dreams. Our unconscious mind has no end of stories to tell us. It has been said that a dream unexamined is like a letter unopened. It is enlivening to look into our "stories of the night" and see what they might be trying to tell us. Their messages are often cryptic and confusing, sometimes even downright scary. Join us as we drop into that "other world" to see what treasures we might find there. The creativity in our dreams is abundant. Spending time there can bring a fresh and creative perspective to our waking world. Bring a dream you would like to explore. It doesn't matter if it is old or new. If you still remember it, it still has meaning for you.

​ I’m delighted to be hosting another dream workshop with Jeremy Taylor. Join us as we gather in circle to explore the deeper meaning of our “stories of the night.”

Jeremy Taylor, an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, has worked with dreams for over forty years; he blends the values of spirituality with an active social conscience and a Jungian perspective. Founding member and past president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, he has written four books integrating dream symbolism, mythology, and archetypal energy. The latest is: The Wisdom of Your Dreams: Using Dreams to Tap Into Your Unconscious and Transform Your Life. His earlier books - The Living Labyrinth: Universal Themes in Myths, Dreams and the Symbolism of Waking Life; Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill; and Dream Work, have been translated into many languages.

Creative Sparks Returns!September 28, 20166:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.​$35

So many have asked if we’ll be doing another film/art night. We are back minus the dinner and are hoping you will join us as we watch Inocente, the 2013 Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary Short. It presents the story of a15-year-old undocumented homeless immigrant, who fiercely pursues her dream of becoming an artist.

We will watch the film and then adjourn to the yurt to respond with art making and or writing followed by group sharing about the film and our creations. The yurt is full of all kinds of art supplies. So come play with paper, paste, collage, watercolor, poster paint, glitter, glue, feathers, fabric, beads, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, whatever strikes your fancy. Or bring your journal and respond with writing, poetry or prose. You need no experience in any of the arts to participate, We promise. We take special care in our groups, to create a safe, nonjudgemental atmosphere so you can relax and enjoy, no matter what your experience with this sort of expression.

​ I’m delighted to be hosting another dream workshop with Jeremy Taylor. Join us as we gather in circle to explore the deeper meaning of our “stories of the night.”

Jeremy Taylor, an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, has worked with dreams for over forty years; he blends the values of spirituality with an active social conscience and a Jungian perspective. Founding member and past president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, he has written four books integrating dream symbolism, mythology, and archetypal energy. The latest is: The Wisdom of Your Dreams: Using Dreams to Tap Into Your Unconscious and Transform Your Life. His earlier books - The Living Labyrinth: Universal Themes in Myths, Dreams and the Symbolism of Waking Life; Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill; and Dream Work, have been translated into many languages.​

Jeremy Taylor coming to For The Joy Of It!

April 17-18- Mendocino, CAWeekend Workshop: Dreaming, Co-Evolving with Nature and the Cosmos as a WholeAt For the Joy of It! Creative Retreat CenterAll dreams (even the worst nightmares) come in the service of health and wholeness, and speak a universal language of archetypal metaphor and symbol. All our dreams also always carry multiple levels of meaning and implication. These are some of the reasons why working with dreams in participatory groups is so valuable.At the core of this universal process of life dreaming itself into new, evolving forms and relationships, is the mostly unconscious dance of all vital organisms with each other. The whole planet is in a constant process of evolution and development, which is reflected in our own individual dream experiences.We humans - and the beautiful warm, wet, green planet we share with all the other life forms that we know about are all evolving. This constant individual/cosmic process is regularly reflected in the dreams we remember from sleep.We will gather, close to nature, in the forests in Mendocino, to share and project upon each other's dreams, with a particular eye to the messages and implications our dreams have to offer about our place in this ongoing cosmic process of evolution.Schedule: Friday, April 17, 6:30-9:00Saturday, April 18, 9:30-5pm

OPEN STUDIO ART MAKING - the yurt/art studio at For the Joy of It! will be open all day and into the evening on both Friday and Saturday. It is filled with art supplies of all kinds. You are welcome to stop in and create some dream art.

LABYRINTH - There is also a Cretan Labyrinth in the meadow which you are welcome to use both days as well.Cost: $125

DREAM, CREATE, IMAGINE!

March 26, 2015 10 am. - 1:00 pm.$35

Each night as we sleep, we enter the magical world of our imagination, where our rational selves step aside and let another part of us speak. Dreams can be playful and enchanting and sometimes dark and scary. However they present, they come with important messages from our deeper self. Because they speak in a language rich in symbol and metaphor, their message can be confusing to say the least!

James Hillman wrote, "Dreams call from the imagination to the imagination and can be answered only by the imagination. Using art making and projective dream work we will see if we can tease out and expand on, some of the messages of our “stories from the night." The yurt is full of all kinds of art supplies. So come play with paper, paste, collage, watercolor, poster paint, glitter, glue, feathers, fabric, beads, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, whatever strikes your fancy. You might make paintings, drawings, collage, dolls, treasure boxes, sculptures, masks, nests, anything you can imagine! You need no experience in any of the arts to participate, I promise. I take special care in all my groups, to create a safe, nonjudgemental atmosphere so you can relax and enjoy, no matter what your experience with this sort of expression.

At the yurt at For The Joy Of It!, Mendocino, CATo register, contact me

Creative Sparks! Dinner/Film/Art Night for March 2014

Creative Sparks! Dinner/Film/Art EveningFebruary 19, 2014

We had such an overwhelming response to our Creative Sparks evening on January 14th that we decided to offer an additional evening on January 21st. Both groups have filled. Contact me if you would like to be on the waiting list.

Creative Sparks Film/Art Night

Join us for our next Film/Art night.November 14, 20136:30 - 9:30 p.m. “The Lady in Number 6 is one of the most inspirational and uplifting stories of the year. As the world’s oldest pianist and holocaust survivor, 109 year old Alice Herz Sommer shares her views on how to live a long and happy life. She discusses music, laughter and how to remain optimistic come what may.” Following the film we will adjourn to the yurt for art process and sharing. As with all of our offerings you need not have experience with any of the arts to enjoy this evening. We promise!Facilitated by Joan Stanford, ATR-BC and Marilyn Hagar REAT.To Register contact Joan Stanford at joan@stanfordinn.com

Art response to our May film nightThe Cats of Mirikitani

Our May Offering

Our Next Creative Sparks Evening

A Creative Evening!

Our Spring RetreatComments and Photos

"....Thank you for the gift of our time together on Saturday. I know that my Spirit and Being on all levels are still being nourished, recognized and given freedom to fly. The group was so sweet; your exquisite pacing, attention to detail and creative generosity were the ingredients that made a perfect nest for all of us to move, open, explore, reveal in such perfection. So, I am appreciating our time together with all the goodies on my Spring altar. Smiling at the memory of our egg hunt and all of our “tiny treasures”. How perfect that today is a great storm, blowing away the detritus of the past, moving it all into the compost to nourish our new, green promises."

"I am still watering my seeds from our truly profound time together. It was so completely simple and spacious with lots of attractive goodies, the perfect place for all kinds of possibilities."

"Thank you for the priceless experience I had "Spiraling" on Saturday. Much territory was covered. I really sensed you were there For the Joy of It...as was Joan. Again, many thanks for the gift of loving kindness, a day of grace and healing.

Past Offerings

Spring Workshop March 24, 2012

Our Winter RetreatPhotos and Comments

"My experience in the workshop was all that I could ask for. The clarity of the rejuvenation I gained from attending their program came as I found myself dancing and rocking to the radio as I drove my car across the bay bridge to San Francisco the following Monday morning. Something I hadn't done for months, maybe years. Thanks Joan and Marilyn for providing a safe and creative space in which explore and reconnect with my true path.

I left your workshop inspired, moved and with a new depth of understanding about my life."

Still feeling the benefits of my weekend spent in your magical land of creativity and splendor. Thanks again.

I felt... "held gently with love so we could have our own experience inside of the 'script'.

Comments about our work/play shop

I wanted to thank you both for the wonderful workshop. I saw how much love and care you put into it. I had a great time. After reflecting on the day, I saw that I totally focused on the end of the path. I guess it is because I think every day about my parents & grandmother and how they lived their lives. It is always on my mind because that is how I try to live mine. Anyhow, the wise old owl is a good friend now. Thank you again!

CARING FOR OUR ELDERSA Group for those caring for their elderly parents

As our parents age and become more vulnerable, we, as their “adult children,” are often called upon to step in with help and assistance. It is a confusing time of changing roles and responsibilities. Conflicting feelings and emotions arise pulling us this way and that, adding to the complexity of the situation. For some, it is easy to become so involved that we lose ourselves entirely. As boundaries blur, we find it hard to step back and gain the perspective we need in order to determine how we can help. Others find themselves standing back too far, disconnecting. Hearts harden to protect against past wounding. Frozen emotions become roadblocks to our own healing in this time before our parents final passing. Each of us moves through this passage in our own way. The stories of who our parents are and were, and what our relationship with them is and has been, are as different as each one of us. Finding our way to “right action” is unique to each one of us also.This group provides an opportunity to find clarity about your own “right action” as you step into this new relation with your aging loved ones.